A man received only minor injuries after his plane crashed in a wooded area near Quartz Lake last Friday.

At about 3:25 p.m., Watson Lake RCMP responded to an alert of an aircraft emergency locator transmitter being activated at Quartz Lake, northeast of Watson Lake, police said today.

This was followed by a SPOT personal locator beacon emergency dispatch.

In Trans North helicopters, RCMP officers flew to the area using the co-ordinates and began the search-and-rescue operation.

Officers found the float plane, a single-engine Piper, a short distance from the lake in a heavily wooded area.

The pilot and lone occupant, a Watson Lake man, was located near the aircraft.

He was able to walk to the helicopter and was transported to Watson Lake Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. He has since been released.

Transport Canada is investigating the incident.

In a release, the RCMP said the plane had just left Quartz Lake when its engine failed.

After the crash, the pilot was able to activate the 911 feature on his SPOT device and free himself from the wreckage.

The name of the pilot was not released.